The Weeknd made a surprise appearance and performance at the 2025 Grammys after he had announced three years prior that he planned to boycott the show following his 2021 snub.
The Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. introduced the performance as he reflected on criticism that the Recording Academy received, in particular from The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye). In 2021, The Weeknd called out the Recording Academy after his hit After Hours album was snubbed from the album of the year category — After Hours held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart for more than three weeks — as was his hit single “Blinding Lights” for record of the year.
“The Grammys remain corrupt. You owe me, my fans and the industry transparency…” he tweeted at the time.
Tensions continued to escalate, however, when The Weeknd revealed on social media that he was planning his Grammy performance “for weeks” before learning he received zero nominations. “Collaboratively planning a performance for weeks to not being invited? In my opinion zero nominations = you’re not invited!” The Weeknd tweeted.
“When I took on this role back in 2020, I wanted the organization to change and modernize so we could be better and serve this dynamic and global music community,” Mason jr. during Sunday night’s Grammys. “But my early days were not exactly straightforward.”
“The Academy faced some real criticism from many in our music community. Some artists were pretty vocal with their complaints. I remember waking up to the headlines that the Weeknd called out the Academy for a lack of transparency in our awards. He went so far as to announce he was boycotting the Grammys. That made for some interesting reading over breakfast,” he continued.
Mason jr. went on to say of The Weeknd, “Criticism is OK. I heard him. I felt his conviction.”
The Recording Academy CEO then explained how the organization has become “dedicated to the well-being of all music makers, and one that reflects the entire music community for now and for future generations.”
“So over the past few years, we’ve listened, we’ve acted, and we’ve changed,” he said. He noted that the Recording Academy has since launched initiatives like the Black Music Collective, Women in the Mix and Academy Proud. He also mentioned how they added more than 3,000 women voting members and the grand electorate is “now younger” and “nearly 40 percent people of color” and 66 percent new members.
“There’s still work to be done, but I firmly believe we’re on the right path,” he added. “As we’ve seen tonight, music is a powerful force for good. It heals us, it unites us, and we need that in this city right now. With that in mind, on a truly special night, what better way to bring us together than this next artist?”
Mason jr. then announced that The Weeknd was making his return to the stage to perform and that he has “seen the work that the Academy has put in.” The Weeknd then performed his song “Timeless” alongside Playboi Carti.
The performance comes amid the singer recently releasing his new studio album, Hurry Up Tomorrow via XO / Republic Records. The album serves as the final chapter of his trilogy series following After Hours (2020) and Dawn FM (2022). The artist will also kick off a stadium tour across North America on May 9 in Phoenix.
The 67th annual Grammys aired live on Sunday from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Check out the red carpet looks.
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